Couple Money Podcast

Learn how you can create goals to achieve your big financial goals while avoiding burn out! Knocking Out Your Big Financial Goals When we started this mini-series last week about rebooting your money, I talked about how to hit those goals you have to change things up a bit. Karen Cordaway went over how we could reframe things around the quality of our lives. It's not paying off debt, it's about ha...

Today we're looking at how you reboot your money by not focusing on the finances! It's now October. The year is officially wrapping up and for many, it's a busy season. Do you have any plans coming up?  This month we have a family trip planned to see some of our friends and family for Virginia.  We're looking forward to it.  But I also know that this time of year can also be one of reflection and...

Today we're looking at how you can knock out a debt or two before this year wraps up! Knock Out a Debt Quickly Who doesn't want to unload a debt before this year wraps up? Paying off debt is usually one of the top three goals people make for the year, but struggle to achieve. That's not going to happen with you. I want you to make some headway with your debt-free goals which why we're finishing up...

No parent wants their kids to go deep in debt, but whether it's college or trade school, education can be pricey. Learn what options are available and how to best save up for your kid's college expenses! Paying for Your Kid's Education and College Expenses With student loans seeming like a weight on many college grads, I think most parents who kids are thinking about either college, trade school,...

Learn how you can talk to your parents about money, their retirement, and beyond with less stress! Helping Your Parents Prepare for Retirement and Beyond We talk about how to discuss money as a couple and make those conversations less stressful. And I hope you two feel more relaxed when you're talking about your goals and finances. I also know that just because you two can talk about money, doesn'...

When you're buying a house, there is a ton of paperwork and terminology thrown at you.  Today we're going to decipher and explain all the essentials you need to know to get a great deal on your mortgage!  Getting a Great Mortgage When Buying a House Even if you're excited and ready to buy a house, it can still be stressful. Last week I mentioned that my mom is moving into the Raleigh area after ge...

Today we're going over home buying tips so you can snag a great deal on your dream house!  What You Need to Know About Buying a House This summer is wrapping up, but things are about to get busier for us.  My mom was recently offered a job in the area and so she's asked me to help her with buying a house.  The problem is that here in the Raleigh/Triangle area, it's very much a seller's market.  Si...

How do you feel about managing money? Is it something you enjoy doing or do you see paying the bills, knocking out debt, saving for your future, etc. a bit much? When we were first married it was honestly a little overwhelming. We had the bills to pay, a car loan, and eventually student loans that were going to come due.  The idea of getting a financial system seemed complicated. The good news is...

With the FIRE (financial independence/retire early) movement growing, many families are wondering if it's an option for them. Today we look at the key numbers parents need to consider when pursuing financial independence while raising kids!  What choices do we need to make as a family now to become financially independent? Helping me to dig into this is  Jonah Kaufman . He's a financial advisor at...

Looking to raise kids while pursuing financial independence? Here are some tips from Simplify and Enjoy to help you reach your goals and enjoy the journey! How to Simplify Your Finances and Enjoy Your Family As I mentioned in the last episode, this week is going to be a bit different. I'm going on vacation with my family soon but I wanted to leave you with some bonuses. As you already heard, I sta...

Want to get the most out of your 401(k)? Learn the key guidelines on how you can choose the best investment options for you!  Want to get the most out of your 401(k)? Learn the key guidelines on how you can choose the best investment options for you!  Making the Most of Your 401(k) Chances are if you're investing for your retirement, the bulk of that money is stashed away in your 401(k). For those...

Today we're talking about how you two can really review the big picture and make sure you hit YOUR big money goals! Financial Check-ups   The first half of this year is about over, so how are you guys doing right now? It's funny how time seems to speed up and slow down. Looking back we have had some big ups and downs in the past four or so weeks, both financially and in our lives. Last month our a...

Today we're going to show you how to get the best deal when buying a car! What You Need to Know About Car Loans Cars and car payments are a way of life for many couples. According to the latest data I could find, there's a record 2.5 million auto loans originated. Average monthly payments for new vehicles are $530 for new vehicles and for used cars, it's around $381 . That's certainly a big chunk...

Double Your Savings This week in the community newsletter I asked a question – can you really save half your income? Think about that for a second. Why is this important? Whether you're paying off debt, saving up to buy a house, start family, travel, or invest more for your future – all of these goals have something in common. They need money. How much you save of your income can have an incredibl...

Wedding planner Megan Gillikin as plenty of insider tips to help you plan a fantastic wedding (and still stick to your budget)!  Even though it's about 13 years ago, I remember being stressed at times when planning our wedding. Just like we heard at the top of the show, as soon as you announce your engagement it can feel like you're being swarmed with questions about the big day. But as much as yo...

Need to talk about money, but worried about starting a fight? Learn easy and stressless ways you two can have the money talk and get on the same page with your finances!    How to Talk About Money (without Starting a Fight) While it makes for good TV drama, finding out your spouse has been hiding massive debt is so not the way to start talking about money. But how do you do that – how do you start...

Need to reset your money? Learn how to do some spring cleaning with your finances to start building momentum with your biggest goals! For some reason, I like to use April is a sort of reminder to review our financial progress. Maybe because of the deadline for taxes. Or maybe it's because it's financial literacy month. Anyways, during April I'll poke around all our accounts, including investments...

Today we're going to see how you can prepare your finances so you can buy a house without going broke! Things are about to get hectic around here. We just heard from our neighbor that the developer is going to start building the townhouses across the street from us starting next week. Buying a House – Always a Smart Move? Here in Raleigh if there's a sliver of land, they'll develop it. It's a hot...

Interested in knocking out your debt faster, saving for a big goal (like a house down payment), or pivoting your career path? Use these tips to not only start a business but grow a sustainable side hustle! Launching a Side Hustle Starting a business, work from home, side hustle - you don't have to be online for 5 seconds before you see an ad, site, or read someone saying how easy it is to get star...

Do you want to go on a fabulous family vacation, but you're still paying down debt? Learn how you can save big on your next getaway while still knocking out your debt! Saving Up for a Fun and Frugal Family Vacation When's your spring break? Our oldest has hers next month, but she's already counting down the days. There's something we love about having a little getaway as a family. The challenge fo...

Learn how you can protect your loved ones financial abuse and how to minimize the damage if it happens ! Financial Scams and Protecting Your Family A few years ago, my husband's nana had sent over money to a scammer pretending to be him. She had thought he needed help and so she generously sent it in. It was a wake call for us . After looking into this and talking with others, our family isn't the...

Learn how you can prepare and save for the costs of retirement! How Much Do We Need to Save for Retirement? If you've used those free online calculator to find your retirement number, you probably were amazed at how much they say you need. A million, two million, maybe more for just one of you. How do you feel when you see those numbers? Considering that  1 in 3 Americans has less than $5,000 save...

Today I'm answering your biggest tax questions. We're doing a quick and easy take covering what you need to know this year when you file, how to maximize your refund, and set yourselves up with your finances for next year! How to Maximize Your Tax Refunds with Credit and Deductions There are some people in this world who are giddy right now because it's tax season. Yeah, this is like the SuperBowl...

Can you have nice things when you're paying off debt? What millionaire habits can you pick up today? Personal finance author and money expert Anthony O'Neal shares his tips and thoughts! Busting Common Money Myths   Many times we mismanage our money because we've developed ideas and habits that are harmful to our financial health. If we want to change or help our spouse to change, it means we have...

Think your home is an investment? For most people, it's not.  Learn how to rethink real estate so you can build your wealth and become financially independent! Buying a house is usually the biggest purchase we make. Right now in the United States, the median price of homes that sold is $225,900 . For those living in high cost of living areas like California and DC, you're looking at closer to 350k...